Abiding The Law
by TheGreenNGoldAvenger
Summary: Bianca is a girl who always follows the rules; she had never not followed them. She can't imagine people who don't. Now she meets someone who doesn't, who wants her to follow. Written for the Newsies Pape Selling Competition.
1. Bianca

**This Story is written for the Newsies Pape Selling Competition, TEAM NEWSIES OF BROOKLYN! Prompt: "What do we have here?" Task:Your (favorite) newsie falls in love, with their true love. **

**Word Count for this chapter: 1,050**

Bianca sat quietly at her desk. That's what she does. Sit quietly. She always did what was expected of her. She never thought of not doing what the grown-ups said. That's how the world works, of course.  
The bell rang as she packed up her things and headed off for home.  
It was a normal day, everything with a perfect routine. That's the way Bianca liked it. No surprises.  
She lived about five blocks from her high school, so she walked home every day. Every walk just the same. Perfectly predictable. One block south, turn left, two blocks, turn right, two more blocks, then right again, and hers was the fourth house on the left.  
Well, not really hers. It was a foster home. Bianca feels lucky, though. She knew and remembers her parents. They put her here when she was seven. It's been another seven years since then. Some of the other girls have been here since birth, and couldn't recognize their parents if they were right in front of them.  
On the Friday afternoon walk back, she heard the call of the newsies. Which was odd. They were usually done selling by the time her school got out, and the boys normally don't come close to the school. It sounded far away, though. She hefted her backpack and kept trudging.  
"Miss, buy a pape?" The voice was right behind her. Even though it was whispered and soft, it still made Bianca jump.  
She turned to look at the newsie. He was about her height, but a little taller, which wasn't saying much for him. He had dark chocolate brown eyes, along with dark hair that poked out from under a hat. He wore a loose fitting white shirt, with a gray vest over it.  
Out of compassion, she dug in her pockets and pulled out a nickel. "Thank you, miss." He took the coin and gave her the paper and a grateful smile.  
Even though that was different, it as well soon became routine. She always made sure she had a nickel, or if times were tough, just a penny. The same newsie was always there. Every day it seemed he was little farther down her path, but not enough day by day to really notice a difference.  
That went on for about two weeks. Bianca never read the newspaper before. But now she kind of had to.  
But on that week's Friday, he wasn't there. She stopped and looked around for him. He was gone.  
Hoping he was alright, Bianca started walking again.

She turned to walk up the steps up to the door, but someone was in her way. There he was. Sitting on the bottom-most step, without any papers. "What are you doing here?" She asked.  
"Nice to see you, too." He said and leaned back, putting his elbow on the next step up. "Is dis where you live?"  
"No, I was just like walking up these steps." She replied sarcastically.  
He chuckled. "You funny. I like you."  
"Thanks?" She responded, slightly unsure of where this was going. He flashed a charming smile that set off alarms in the back of her head. Bianca shyly smiled back. "Shouldn't you be going back to your family?" She asked.  
He laughed again. "You real funny. Have you ever met a newsie wit a family? I ain't got no family like you mean." He grinned.  
"'like I mean'?"  
"Yeah, I got brudders. Not blood of couirse. We live together in da lodging house. Lots of us." The boy smiled bigger.  
She gave a small laugh. "I understand now."  
He stood up and walked over to her. "Racetrack Higgins." He stuck out his hand.  
"Bianca Arietta." She shook it, he had a strong grip, but not painful, like the boys at school.  
"Dat's a real pretty name." Racetrack said. He brought the back of her hand gently to his lips.  
"Thank you. That's, um, an interesting name yourself." She added as Racetrack let her rest her hand back by her side.  
He laughed softly. "It's a newsie thing. Everyone 'as a ridiculous nickname. Real name's Ant'ony, but don't use it, no one does." He smiled at her again.  
"Alright."  
There was moment of silence before Racetrack leaned in and whispered to her, "Do youse wanna run away?"  
"Me?" Bianca took a step back. Racetrack had just asked her to run away, probably with him. She looked up at that second story window that she slept next to, then back at him. Now all the alarms were going off. Who knows what he has in store for her. It could be dangerous, they could get in trouble; Bianca is supposed to finish school. She only has had a bit of high school. Nowhere near enough to be out in the real world.

Racetrack looked at her patiently, with large, puppy-dog eyes.

"How long have you been a newsie?" Bianca asked.

He bit his lip in thought before answering, "About seven years." He nodded, assuring her. She still looked at him skeptically. "Youse can think about it." He skirted around her and sauntered down the street, hands in his pockets.

"Bye!" She called as he was halfway down the block. He turned and walked a few steps backwards. He gave a huge wave, and disappeared behind a building corner.

Bianca walked into the house, up the stairs, and sat on the windowsill for a long while overlooking the street. She should be thinking about school, but she could only think of Racetrack. Those dark brown eyes that melted her heart the first time they spoke. That charming smile that made her want to shut off her brain.

The door to the shared room burst open. One of the girls that used the bed next to Bianca's came in. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" She, Fiona, asked.

"Nothing!" Bianca jumped up and made her way to her bed. "I was just going to bed!" She quickly changed as Fiona gave a bemused look and slowly left. Bianca climbed into her bed and sat there as Fiona exited the room.

Right as the door clicked shut, She could Fiona yell throughout the entire home, "Bianca's thinking about boys!"

Bianca groaned and flopped onto her pillow, muffling her.

Her bag of homework lay forgotten by the door.

**Thanks for reading! Part 2 of 3 will be out next week (hopefully before Friday) Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Racetrack

**Word Count for this chapter: 885**

**I still don't own Newsies, just Bianca.**

Racetrack was lying on the couch in the lodging house commons, before anyone else claimed it. His hands were clasped, resting on his stomach. The usual din was filtered out of his mind, for he was only thinking of one thing.

Bianca. That name was so beautiful. Just like her. She had golden brown hair that shown in the sun and gently curled around her shoulders.

Race was glad that she wasn't taller than him. That's a serious problem that he has. Just about every girl is taller than him. Totally not fair. Mush always laughed at him for that. Then Race tripped him going down the stairs the next day. It always worked out.

The one in question sat down on the arm rest by Race's head. "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Mush asked, small grin spreading across his face.

"Why do youse care?" He snapped.

"Yeesh," He put up his hands defensively and stood back up. "Jus' wonderin'."

Race bit his lip, wondering if he could tell Mush about Bianca. "Come back! I'm sorry." He sighed, "It's this goirl."

Mush nearly screamed in excitement as he plopped down on the floor, he sat cross-legged and leaned forward. "What's she like?"

Race sighed and moved his hands to be clasped behind his head. "'Er name's Bianca. Goes to school in North Brooklyn, in between 'ere and Sheepshead." He closed his eyes and smiled blissfully.

That seemed to catch Mush off-guard. He drew back, surprised. "Brooklyn? Does she know you live 'ere?"

"Well, no. It's not that important, hasn't come up." Racetrack sat up. "I thought you were supposed to be supportive of me!"

"C'mon, I'm trying! It's just…Brooklyn! Why couldn't you find someone more local?" Mush tilted forward to rest on the balls of his feet. He still had his huge grin on his face, so Mush couldn't be that serious. Mush was _never_ that serious. "So, when do I get to meet 'er?"

"You ain't meetin' her, you'll scare her off." Race stood up from the couch. "I'm going ta bed. Oh, and Mush? Please don't tell anyone, not yet." Mush nodded.

As Race headed towards the bunks, Mush could hardly contain this secret he was entrusted to keep.

~oOo~

The next day, Race set off for circulation, with Mush right by his side. "You know what? I'm gonna see her today. Right afta her school gets out. Walk her home. You think she'd like dat?" Race turned to Mush.

Mush nodded, and tried to keep his voice from going to loud. "Yeah. Goirls like dat. You should get her something, too. Like a flower." He smiled joyfully.

"Yeah I'll do dat. Good idea. Thanks Mush!" Racetrack called over his shoulder as he bolted off. Mush chuckled to himself as Race turned the corner.

Jack walked up next to him. "What's got him in a rush?"

"He's gonna see some goirl." Mush quickly covered his mouth. "Dang it." Jack laughed and shook his head while he walked away.

~oOo~

Race went through his day normally, selling out rather quickly. Normally, if that happened, he would just head back to Manhattan. He dawdled around Brooklyn past noontime. He struck up conversations with some of Spot's boys through the city when one recognized Race.

Eventually, it was about two o'clock, the time Bianca's school. And don't even ask how he knew that.

On the way there, he stopped by a floral shop. There were tons of huge bouquets in the window. Race laughed; no way could he get one of those. It was too expensive, and it would look like he was trying too hard. So Racetrack walked over to the far wall. It looked something like a "build your own". It had single flowers, with a chalkboard that had prices written down. He wandered down the wall, feeling completely out of his element.

There was a basket full of roses. _Too cliché, _he thought.

The next basket had tulips. The colors ranged from the brightest things in the rainbow. _Perfect_. He drew out one that was a light pink on the tips of the petals, and flowed into a deep orange near the stem. Racetrack snipped a little bit a thin, green ribbon and tied a bow around the stem.

At the counter, he quickly pulled out the change and set it on the counter so he could get to the school in time.

He ran through the streets, one hand cupped around the blossom to keep it safe.

As he got to the grounds, kids were just starting to pour out. He flattened his hair down and stood on his tiptoes, flower behind his back. Race saw Bianca heading south towards her home. He bolted through the crowd of people. But, a little too quickly. He smacked into Bianca's back, almost knocking her down.

"Hey! What ar-Racetrack!" She brushed the hair out of her face and smiled warmly at him. He felt his heart leap up his throat as he held out the tulip, which was somehow still intact, and perfect. "Racetrack, thank you." Bianca took it. He motioned that he could take her backpack. She smiled again and gave it to him. It was immensely heavy, but he didn't mind at all as their shoulders gently bumped into each other with every few steps.

**Thanks for reading! I'll hopefully have the last chapter up later this week! Tell me what you think! :)**


	3. Home

**Update: I still don't own Newsies, just Bianca. Word count: 1,750**

They walked in silence for a few minutes. They only stopped once they got to the house.

Racetrack shrugged off Bianca's backpack and tried to set it down gently. He laughed at the thud it made against the cobblestone. "What do youse keep in here?"

"The homework I didn't do last night." Bianca responded honestly.

Racetrack's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't do your homework?" He said with a mocking tone. "What's wrong with you?" He put a hand to his chest, offended.

"You're one to talk," She put her hands on her hips. "you don't even go to school."

"Glad of it, too. I'm independent, and in charge of mineself." He stated proudly, his hand now looked like he was pledging allegiance. Race grinned as Bianca started laughing.

Bianca studied the flower for the umpteenth time since she got it. "How did you get just the perfect one? I didn't think you were much for pretty things."

Race chuckled. "Well, I'm 'ere with you, ain't I?" Bianca blushed and hid behind the flower.

"Racetrack…" He grinned at her reaction with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

The door to the house suddenly flew open and another girl raced down the steps. "Oooooh…Bianca, is this him?" She squeaked. She immediately reminded Racetrack of Mush.

"Fiona, not now." Bianca shooed her away.

Fiona squealed. "It _IS_ him! I just knew it! Wait 'till everyone hears. I'm going to tell them all, it'll be so funny!"

Without another word, she bolted back into the house and shut the door.

"Well," Race began after she was gone for a few seconds. "She seems nice."

Bianca sighed. "That's Fiona. She's one of my roommates. She's…special." Bianca gave a tight-lipped smile.

"I know a guy jus' like dat."

"No way."

"Would ya like ta meet him?" Race leaned forward.Bianca hesitated for a second. "You can still go ta school. I walk near it every morning. I can take ya there."

She smiled. "I'll get my things. Don't move." She touched his shoulder and whisked into the house.

As the door swung shut, Race raised his arms in victory. "Yes!" He exclaimed quietly. He spun in a small circle, careful not to trip over the backpack.

~oOo~

Bianca rummaged through her area, grabbing everything she would need and putting it in the duffle bag that she had when she first came here. It was mostly just changes of clothes and a few small school things.

She wanted to slip out quietly, with just a note for the head of the house that she was alright and there was no need to get worried. The small note was written and was placed on her neatly made bed.

But as she stepped out into the hallway, she was confronted by one of the other older girls. "Where are you going?"

"I found another home." Bianca answered truthfully.

"Why has no one said anything?"

"I just decided to leave."

"You have to tell people."

"I just did. And I left a note on my bed. You're welcome to read it."

The girl fumed and stepped to the side to let Bianca go past. "Hope he's worth it."

Bianca looked over her shoulder at her, "He is." She nodded and ran down the steps, bag in hand.

Race met at the bottom step, backpack slung over his shoulders. He grabbed her hand and they began walking towards the Brooklyn Bridge.

"So, where do you live, exactly?"

"Uh, Manhattan." Race smiled sheepishly.

"Manhattan?" Bianca raised an eyebrow.

Race laughed quietly. "Yeah, I was going to tell you. It just, uh, slipped my mind."

Bianca sighed and shook her head. "Alright. That's alright." She said brightly. "Good thing I like walking." She smiled and squeezed Racetrack's hand.

They chattered all the way through the rest of Brooklyn until the Bridge. Bianca was weirdly quiet going across the metal bridge, hand clutching Race's. Her eyes were fixed before her, towards the distant shore. She seemed to be holding her breath.

"Youse okay?" Race whispered, trying not to scare her.

"I, I've never been on a bridge before. Not like this one."

Race grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards him. "You will be fine. Dis thing can take carriages, filled wit rich people. Do youse 'ave any idea 'ow much dey weigh?" Race paused for only a moment. "We will be fine."

Bianca took a deep breath and nodded, and walked across the rest of the way, only looking down once.

Without any other disturbances, the two made it back to Lodging House just before the sun went down.

Race led her into the house and to the counter where Kloppman was filing some papers. He looked up when he saw the movement of two people approaching his desk. "What do we have here?" He said and straightened his glasses.

Bianca smiled sweetly. "Hi. I'd like to stay here." She said.

"Certainly, miss. I believe we have a space that you can have." He shuffled out and walked towards the bunkroom. Bianca and Race followed, Race acknowledged the few boys when they went past the doorway to the commons. He could only see them for half a second, but he could see all their eyes were as big as dinner plates.

In the bunkroom, Kloppman made his way over to the only empty bed. Fortunately, it was the one just next to Race's. Snipeshooter was on his other side. The two put the bags on the bed.

"I hope you like it here. Its 5 cents a night, but no fee the first night of course." Kloppman nodded. "If there is anything you need, you can ask me or any of the boys, they should be able to help you."

"Thank you so much." Bianca smiled as he went back to his office.

Race sighed and pulled Bianca into an embrace. "Welcome home," he whispered.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friends? Some of them look real cute." She leaned back to look at him. Race jutted out his jaw as his eyebrows furrowed. Bianca giggled. "I'm kidding." Race relaxed, huffed, and led her to the commons.

They turned into the doorway where some of the boys were chatting, cards on the table and in their hands.

Mush looked up and saw them first. His face brightened up with that huge, stupid smile of his. "Ey, Race. Is dis her?"

"O' course it is! Look where Race has got 'is hands!" Specs laughed as he noticed Race slink and arm around her waist.

"Fellas," He began, "Dis is Bianca."

They all nodded and collectively said, "Hi."

"Dis one's Mush," Mush grinned and winked. "And 'ere's Specs," Specs touched the ridge of his glasses in acknowledgment. "Dat bugger's Skittery," Mush shoved the arm of Skittery who scowled at him. "And dat last one's Blink. Ey, Blink. Where's Cowboy?"

"Dunno. He's still out, I guess." Blink turned towards the window.

Specs threw down his cards. "Will ya look at that? I might actually 'ave a good 'and!"

The rest of the boys laid down their cards as well. "How about dat?" Skittery said unenthusiastically. His hand was one better. Specs swore under his breath and scooted the small pile of change towards Skittery, who actually grinned.

Race walked over to the other chair around the table and sat on it, Bianca went to place herself on the armrest.

"Now wait just a minute!" Mush looked over at the two in disgust. "There ain't no lady deservin' to be on an _armrest_. Here, take me spot instead." He got up, dusted off the cushion of the couch, and presented it to Bianca, who sat down laughing. "What a cruel beast of a man to not offer a lady a good spot around da table. Am I the only one knows how to treat a sweet goirl?" Mush swept his hat from the table and placed it over his heart.

"Apparently so." Race fumed. "Glad you like her, Mush."

"Yes, thank you, Mush." The name felt awkward on Bianca's tongue. These were the weirdest names she's ever encountered, but no way would she say anything. Until she met any newsie, the most bizarre name she ever heard was Francisco. As long as Race was close to remind her who was who, she would be fine. Some were easy to remember. Like Specs. Blink was fairly easy, but a harsh nickname for a boy who only had the use of one eye.

The sound of the front door opening and a coin being placed on Kloppman's counter could be heard over the bickering that had started between Racetrack and Mush.

The fight went a little something like this: (Starting with Race)

"Back off!"

"Why should I? I was jus' being polite!"

"You coming off a little too much for my likin'!"

"Then youse betta make you own moves!"

Jack walked through the doorway. "Knock it off! Both of youse. Youse scarin' our guest." He noticed Bianca sitting on the couch, back pressed firmly against the back of the couch.

The two boys hung their heads. "Sorry." They both murmured.

He walked over to Bianca and stuck out his hand. "Jack Kelly. I'm the one whose desperately tryin' to keep everyone togetha." Race mouthed "Cowboy" to her.

"Bianca." She responded and took his hand.

Jack smiled kindly. "You must be the goirl Race brought over."

Race's head snapped up. "Who told you about dis?" Mush coughed and quickly covered it up. "You?" Race leapt from his chair and tackled Mush to the ground. Bianca brought her legs up to her chest just in time as the two went rolling by, yelling curses. No one really noticed the rest of newsies slowly filing in, keeping to the walls.

Jack sighed and walked over to them, he and Blink pulled them apart. "What does it matter now? Stop it you two."

Racetrack looked everywhere but into anyone's eyes.

Bianca got up and walked over to the slightly out of breath Race. She wrapped her arms around Race's neck. His face immediately softened up as his arms went around her waist.

"Sorry, Racey. And anyway, who am _I_ to tampa with true love like dis?" Mush smiled.

The two grinned and the gambler put his hand on the back of Bianca's head and gently pulled her in. The entire room erupted into cheers as they shared their first kiss.

**Total word count: 3,680**

**Thanks for reading! (And happy 23rd anniversary to Newsies!)**


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